Maple Leafs Reported Draft Strategy May Not Sit Well With Fans Following Draft Combine
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton Imagn Images
Based on their actions at the NHLs' draft combine, the Maple Leafs' draft strategy has been revealed and it may not sit well with fans who can see the obvious need.
Brad Treliving made a pair of rather substantial trades at this past trade deadline.
First, he acquired Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Nikita Grebenkin and a first-round pick.
Later in the day, he pulled off a surprising trade with the Boston Bruins, landing defenseman Brandon Carlo for another first-round pick and highly touted prospect Fraser Minten.
While the trades were praised by Leafs Nation at the time, they also emptied the already barren prospect cupboards of forwards and left them without a first-round pick in each of the next three drafts.
Last week, the NHL hosted its annual draft combine, where top prospects from around the world are put through testing and interviews with teams across the league.
From scouts and reporters present at the combine, the Maple Leafs may have inadvertently revealed their drafting strategy for the 2025 draft.
Maple Leafs Have a Very Specific Desire at This Year's NHL Entry Draft
According to The Hockey Writers' Andrew Forbes, the Leafs spent the majority of their time meeting with defensemen with size throughout the combine.
With their first selection coming at the end of round two, the Leafs met with a handful of defensive prospects that all had a few things in common that Forbes noted.
"Each of them had some things in common - they were defensemen, with larger stature, who could win puck battles, skate well and push the meter on the physical play. Bigger. Tougher. And sure, they can add something offensively when the opportunities present themselves," wrote Forbes.
Included in that list of defensive prospects the Leafs met with were Brady Peddle (USHL), Jackson Smith (WHL), Carter Amico, (NTDP), Max Psenicka (WHL) and Sascha Boumedienne (NCAA).
Although the Leafs do need some more defensive prospects, it does come as a bit of a surprise that they didn't meet with many centers, or even forwards in general, considering that they traded away two of their top forward prospects at the deadline.
Whether Treliving and the Leafs go defense-heavy at the upcoming draft remains to be seen, but sliding the odd forward pick in would go a long way to replenish what's left of their small group of prospects up front -- especially down the middle, where they're particularly thin.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 10 | 3367 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Reported Draft Strategy May Not Sit Well With Fans Following Draft Combine What do the Leafs need to focus on at the upcoming draft? | ||
| Forwards | 539 | 16 % |
| Centers | 687 | 20.4 % |
| Defensemen | 764 | 22.7 % |
| A good mix | 1377 | 40.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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